Treading on the Shadows of Ghosts
by Lady Bloodless
Summary: Halloween Challenge Fic. As the scariest night of the year approaches events and emotions hit a fevered pitch in the Fringe Division. Rated M for future horror.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **I do not own the TV. show _Fringe _or any of its characters. All credit to character creation, etc. goes to J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci. **Halloween Challenge Fic - Thanks to WJObsessed for inviting me to participate!**

There is a place in this world where the unusual and downright mystifying are appreciated and even encouraged. The Fringe Science Division was one such place, populated by individuals of many talents and predispositions and currently located in the basement of an Ivy League college. An especially strange fervor seemed to overtake the air of Harvard on this particularly chilly October day, streamers of orange and black hung haphazardly on the wizened pillars of the learning institution--its statues having been childishly garbed in the upcoming holiday's ghoulish attire.

The next generation of what others presumed to be world leaders chattered on amongst themselves, discussing their plans for this latest Halloween night with the promise of debauchery thick in the underlying meaning of their conversations. Peter Bishop strolled through the plotting throngs of students; the rolling gait of someone in no hurry to get back to whatever it was that had brought him here in the first place. Certain affectations, while made necessary by past endeavors, were lost to him at this moment.

_I almost miss the sense of importance, the urgency of it all._ Blue eyes slid past the classrooms as he ambled down the stairs, confronted by a more tranquil floor. The distant mooing of Gene reaching his ears it was hard to keep a smile off of his lips. _Easily one of the most unique pets Walter has ever taken a shine to. _Shoving his calloused hands into the wool-lined depths of his leather jacket he sauntered down another flight of stairs, hand upon the door leading into the lab when he heard something that gave him reason to pause.

**"NO! NO! NO! I ABSOLUTELY FORBID IT!" **That was definitely Walter and he was definitely agitated about something. Peter sighed as he mentally prepared himself to play mediator once again; his father's temperamental explosions were almost predictable nowadays. He should have known.

Pushing the door open he found Astrid frozen in the mid-hanging of Halloween decorations, staring down a positively furious Walter.

**"Walter, I don't see why you're so against Halloween," **There was an almost petulant tone to the Junior FBI Agent's voice as she tried to reason with him but as Peter had soon realized, trying to reason with Walter was like trying to reason with a monkey on mescaline. It simply didn't work out for either party.

"**I WILL NOT WORK IN THESE HEINOUS CONDITIONS! I WILL N—" **Peter chose this time to skillfully intercede on Astrid's behalf before beakers started flying.

"**Walter! Walter! Calm down would you? She didn't know your hatred of Halloween ran so deeply," **Peter gave his father a warning glare; the extremely absent-minded mad scientist grimaced and turned on his heel, stalking off in a huff muttering under his breath.

Astrid stared at Peter, mouth slightly agape. The paper streamers of ghosts and the word 'BOO!' hanging limply in her small hand, dark brown eyes boring into his as if demanding an explanation. The younger Bishop sighed and leaned against the sterile counter top, boot clad feet scuffing the floor.

"**Walter does not particularly enjoy Halloween, I know with all the superstitions and myth surrounding the holiday it might seem like it was made for him but he has disliked Halloween ever since I can remember, I don't really know why exactly." **His eyes tracked the wandering progress of his father who slowly made his way over to Gene, a strange looking sandwich clamped in one hand. Walter took a bite and then offered the sandwich to Gene who happily munched the rest of it out of his hand.

Astrid watched as well, shaking her head in quiet frustration, **"Okay well, should I hang them then? I'm going to get a costume for Gene too…Elvis."**

Peter laughed at the absurdity of the statement and waved his hand as if to encourage her to continue about her business, his cell phone oddly quiet. _Where is Olivia for all of these pre-Hallow's Eve festivities? _

Just then the doors to the Lab burst open, drawing the attention of all its occupants. Olivia Dunham staggered through the threshold, a slash of red streaking her blond hair. Hazel eyes wide with shock…or was it fear? There was a bundle in her arms and as Peter ran towards her just as the power went out and they were thrown into darkness.

**A/N: **I'm going to add a second chapter! Watch out! It's skeery! :D


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **I do not own the TV. show _Fringe _or any of its characters. I do own the secret new character though! All credit to character creation, etc. goes to J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci. **Halloween Challenge Fic - Thanks to WJObsessed for inviting me to participate!**

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**Fumbling in the sudden darkness Peter threw a hand out to find Olivia and whatever it was that she was carrying. His hand hit something fleshy and just as he was about to speak whatever it was bit into the meat of his palm, drawing a surprised yelp of pain from his lips. **"WHAT THE HELL?!" **Scooting backwards as the backup generator roared to life he clutched his injured appendage, profanity still spewing from his lips.

Walter poked his head up from behind Gene and looked as though he was about to come to his son's assistance when he flew ass over tea kettle and landed on the ground with a dull thud. Somewhere behind the confused bovine came a giggle, the mad scientist's voice vaguely muffled, **"Why…I think I just landed in cow shit."**

Astrid had momentarily forgotten her decoration craze in the face of this newest development and made her way over to Peter and Olivia, albeit cautiously and with more tentativeness than Peter would have liked given the situation at hand.

Having crumpled to the floor from exhaustion when the lights had gone out Olivia still clutched her prize close to her breast, the blanket having been thrown back after whatever it was had released Peter from its teeth. Dimly aware that Peter had been injured Olivia felt her grasp slacken slightly and all were surprised as a child's face peered out at them, mouth rimmed with Peter's blood. **"I…I received a call…found her…there were men…ZFT? I don't know…she's another special child."**

Peter rose to his knees, slipping closer to Olivia and careful not to get too close to the nibbling wonder sitting tamely in her arms. Before he could check himself he rose on his knees, injury temporarily forgotten. Gently swiping the back of his uninjured hand over her cheek he inspected the blood in her hair and found bits of shattered glass embedded in an egg-shaped wound that was quickly forming. **"Jesus, Liv maybe we should take you to the hosp—"**

No sooner were the words out of his mouth that she shook her head, that strange maternal instinct that had been lying dormant ever since that special boy had left them for what they had all presumed was a better place. **"No…I have to protect her, please Peter…help me protect her."**

The child in her arms wriggled free of her blankets and a gasp of amazement flickered through Peter, Walter, and Astrid.

"**Oh," **Walter breathed, **"She…is…beautiful!"**

The child straightened and stood, fixing the older Bishop with a piercing stare. The elfin creature in question was nearly white as a sheet, covered in freckles with shocking flame red hair that was curiously done in dreadlocks. Eyes bluer than the Pacific gazed at the unfamiliar faces around her but it wasn't her eyes that they were all staring at…her canines and incisors were remarkably elongated and appeared razor sharp.

What came next was more than a little unexpected, for she began to speak quickly and in a language that took more than a moment to recognize:"**Vem er du?! Var er jag?! Kom inte någon nöjer!"**

Olivia slumped against Peter, slowly losing grip on consciousness and she was murmuring something so quiet Peter had to bend closer until her lips were brushing lightly against his ear, shivers quaking down his spine from the forbidden contact. If his father saw any of what had transpired he didn't comment as was his usual modus operandi and for that he was infinitely grateful. **"What are you saying Liv?" **He whispered quietly into her ear, a hand absently brushing the hair from her face.

"**Swedish…she speaks Swedish," **And with that proclamation Special Agent Olivia Dunham took a short vacation into dreamland, her last visual before losing consciousness was Peter's cheek so impossibly close to hers…the smell of coffee on his breath.

The little girl was still staring suspiciously, running her tongue over those sharp teeth of hers. Astrid walked slowly to one of the computer monitors and ran up a muzzy translation on what the girl had said. Tapping the keyboard keys, her rapt attention was broken when the imp-like creature seemed to appear out of the thin air next to her, wiping the rest of Peter's blood from the corners of her mouth.

"**Walter…what ****IS**** she?" **Peter was gathering Olivia into his arms, carefully hoisting her up off the floor he carried her to a couch settled in front of Gene's enclosure, eyeing the little girl warily all the while.

"**I…I'm not sure but she appears to be…well, I posit that perhaps she is…a vampire."**

Silence met his words before Astrid looked up from her monitor and Peter turned slowly around to eye his father incredulously.

"**What?"**

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**A/N: **Okay so I lied. But I had to set up the plot for the rest of the story. Next chapter might be up by tomorrow hopefully!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **I do not own the TV. show _Fringe _or any of its characters. I do own the secret new character though! All credit to character creation, etc. goes to J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci. **Halloween Challenge Fic - Thanks to WJObsessed for inviting me to participate!

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Olivia awoke to a sharp pricking pain located somewhere on her scalp, eyelids flying up her pupils dilated and adjusted themselves to the dim light. She realized that she was in the laboratory on the couch, a dull throb of pain emanating from her midsection from where she had been kicked by an adversary in the attempts to get the…_girl. Where is the girl?!_Olivia began to squirm in an attempt to sit up and look around but a hand was on her shoulder, pushing her back down into the squishy embrace of the over-stuffed piece of furniture. Whoever it was wielded a pair of tweezers which appeared to be aimed directly at her head.

"**What…" **She started but did not finish, interrupted by a voice of comfort. **"Shh, Olivia it's me. Don't move; I'm trying to get the rest of the glass out of your head." **Dark circles had drawn themselves under Peter's eyes again, hazards of a job that barely allowed you any sleep except for the random 5-10 minute spurts you might get in between catastrophes.

"**Peter, wh-where is she? Is she all right? You…your hand, let me see," **She reached out to touch the bandaged body part but he withdrew quickly smoothing the hair back from her head wound. **"She's fine, Liv. Before the generator crapped out we were able to subtly communicate we weren't going to hurt her. I think we even have her name."**

Flinching as the tweezers dove in and plucked another shard of glass from its embedded resting place Olivia closed her eyes briefly, trying to recall the rest of what had occurred and trying to find a way to string it all together in a way that didn't make her look crazy—even to the Fringe Division. **"Her name is Gunvor," **Peter muttered quietly as he dropped the last pieces of glass into the container at his side, **"Walter is examining her now as best as he can given the circumstances. Now just relax would you?"**

Putting a bit of antiseptic on a cotton swab he dabbed it gently over the wound, a quiet hiss of breath expelled sharply from Olivia's lips. Gently smoothing her hair in a way that might look rather inappropriate to outsiders he was about to speak again when Walter exclaimed from the examining table.

"**My God! She's unlike anything I've ever seen! No presence of surgical instruments in the base of the cranium…no puncture wounds to suggest any kind of drug therapy, these teeth are not prosthesis in origin." **Walter was practically skipping his way around the red-headed child whose eyes followed him through his progressions, thin slashes of eyebrow furrowing slightly in lingering distrust.

"**So…basically she hasn't been tampered with? She isn't one of your experiments?" **Astrid seemed to hold some disbelief in her tone and Peter joined her, usually when something strange like this occurred Walter was always connected somehow.

"**No, Astroid! She's completely unique! A real genetic anomaly that neither I nor any other scientist have ever had a hand in!" **Walter paused, lifting the ragged sleeve covering her pale, freckled shoulder. **"Oh…oh my."**

Olivia was sitting up, leaning on Peter who lingered on the edge of the couch. She would never admit it aloud but she found it rather comforting to feel his warm weight against her side. Her nose brushed against the sweater he had been wearing and she detected the faintest hint of cigarette smoke. Surprise flickered on the edges of her eyes but she kept it hidden, instead she thought to ask Walter just what it was that he had found.

"**Walter, what is it?"**

Walter seemed to be studying whatever it was he had found on Gunvor before replacing the sleeve hastily after a threatening growl from the child. **"She…she has tribal…tattoos. I may be mistaken and might remain so until the power returns to us but I believe the dye used to create these markings came from a plant that hasn't been seen in almost 700 years!" **

A pin could have dropped and it would have sounded like an explosion in the silence that followed Walter's bold statement. Olivia and Peter stared blankly at the dreadlocked head of the child on the examining table, the girl looking back at them with some spark of mischievous intent in her crafty blue eyes.

"**That's impos—oh what am I saying you're probably right but…that has to be incorrect. There's no way she's 900 years old. It just cannot be." **Olivia had never really been truly skeptical of Walter's theories until now. This just seemed far-fetched, almost as if a joke were being played on all of them. But they were all inevitably silenced when an unfamiliar voice cut through the air.

"**Think what you like, Olivia Dunham, but the ****tokig gammal manen is correct," **The child that was not a child slid off the table and strolled nonchalantly over to where Olivia and Peter were seated. Satisfied that their shock was keeping them silent a feral, frightening grin stretched the girl's features. **"I am Gunvor Ingvarsdottir and I owe you a great debt," **Seeing that the surprise was wearing off the red-headed minx cocked her head to one side, simultaneously on all fours, stretching up to touch Olivia's temple. **"Here, let me show you my life."**

As skin met skin Olivia and Gunvor convulsed in tune and lost consciousness.

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**A/N: **I am really surprised at the amount of muse I'm getting for this story. SERIOUSLY. THE HORROR WILL BE IN THE NEXT CHAPTER I PROMISE. 3


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **I do not own the TV. show _Fringe _or any of its characters. I do own the secret new character though! All credit to character creation, etc. goes to J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci. **Halloween Challenge Fic - Thanks to WJObsessed for inviting me to participate!

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**

"**Olivia! Olivia!" **Peter shakes her gently and then again with added desperation before casting a forlorn yet angry glance up at his father, **"What the hell did she do to her?! Wake them up!"**

Walter was kneeling beside the two young women, penlight at the ready he gently pulled Olivia's eyelid back and found that even when confronted with the blaring light of the pen her pupils were impossibly dilated. **"Interesting, very interesting," **He slid over toward Gunvor and found that her eyes were strangely open and apparently quite unseeing. Having a sudden thought he moved to check her pulse and found that her heart was beating slowly, too slowly for the normal heart rate of a human. He glanced up at Peter and clucked his tongue disapprovingly; the boy could be quite excitable when it came to Miss Dunham's well-being.

"**I don't think that would be wise, Peter. I may be mistaken but I do believe this…this…Gunvor is sharing her memories with our Olivia," **Inspecting her wrists and legs he returned to her upper arms where the tattoos were found,** "and I expect they will most certainly return when this exquisite creature decides she is finished showing her what she wants to show her."**

Peter hated the look that was slowly growing on Walter's face. It was that one expression that told him his father was excited, that his mind was thinking in a more scientific capacity than a psychological or even humane fashion. He would be lost in a world of research and medical jargon before anyone could have a word in edgewise. Staring down at Olivia's relatively tranquil appearance he could not deny that there was a certain tug on the tangled strings of his heart every time he saw her. _But I hate seeing her like this, lost somewhere that I can't protect or intercede on her behalf. _

As the power hummed back on and lab was once again bathed in light Peter found that he could tear himself away from Olivia, her head in his lap as he waited for her to come back to him.

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_Olivia awoke on the cold ground of some distant land, shooting up so quickly the movement temporarily sickened her. Shoving down the urge to vomit rather profusely all over the coarse grass she was sitting upon she inhaled deeply and looked around, a few feet away from where she was sitting she saw Gunvor's exceptionally bright blue eyes peering out at her from between branches of shrubbery. _

"_**Well, you handled that better than I had thought,"**__ The comment is not meant to be insulting but Olivia found herself rather susceptible to the anger that had come upon her, hazel eyes boring into the girls as she righted herself and stood up slowly still trying to figure out where the hell she was._

"_**What did you do to me? Why am I here?" **__Her tone was demanding, frantic almost because there were no modern weapons on her person and it was just them. Just Olivia and this strange girl that was not a girl—not even in human if Walter's conjectures were completely correct._

_Gunvor stepped out from behind the shrubs, stretching idly and pacing toward her before stopping just short of kissing distance. She was staring hard into Olivia's eyes as if daring her to break the contact, it was like the old childhood games modern human children played only this action seemed to have a separate connotation. Swiping a runaway dreadlock out of her eyes she placed her hands on her hips the way a mother might do should she be scolding a child, __**"You did a service for me and I am returning the favor, Olivia Dunham. Someday you might even think to extend your gratitude for how gracious I am being…allowing you into my memories." **__Gunvor was rather put out by the lack of interest this woman was showing, for Olivia Dunham was special but she was still trapped in the confines of societal norms. Not thinking outside the box.__** "You are not really here. Well, you are and you are not I suppose. To you this is all but a dream, a terrifying dream but one nonetheless."**_

_Olivia crossed her arms over her chest, looking more the petulant child than the creature that actually appeared to be a child. Why was it that whenever things fell into a rhythm, something that she could manage with feelings she could hide, something else came along and disrupted the rhythm completely. Turned her liar's symphony into shrieking violin strings and angry crashes of drums, exposing the truth of her, in other words. She felt out of her element, discombobulated and detached from her anchors to reality. She was having a conversation with someone that should have been dead nearly a thousand years ago. Olivia Dunham was tired of standing out and wished for once that she could fall in line without being pulled out of it again._

"_**Fine. Show me what you want to show me then, Gunvor. As soon as that is accomplished I want to wake the hell up."**_

_Another toothy smile held fast on the waif's lips, **"Oh you'll wake up all right."

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_It is winter time in a rustic village in the foothills of some snow-capped mountain range. Deathly quiet in what appeared to be a frost-induced slumber there was little to disturb its inhabitants, holed away in warm huts like bears in a cave. Night crept up fast, nimble and quick like the cat and the candlestick and devoured the mountains and the village with it. Now, however, the quiet had given way to a woman's screams…and slowly lamps were lit and big, burly men with formidable guts, beards, and broad swords stumbled from their homes. One man held the lantern, lead the uncertain gaggle of battle-wizened warriors toward the sound of the bone-chilling screams._

_The screams ended abruptly and they found her, a woman that really looked like a young girl but…strangely different somehow. If they had opened her mouth, if they had seen inspected her more closely than perhaps they may have realized that she was not of the same blood. Blood. It covered this unconscious creature, caked and frozen into icicles that broke as they rolled her over. Puffs of breath came in steamy bursts from her nostrils so it was safe to say she was living still. Debating over what they should do with her the man with the lantern held up a hand for silence, **"She will be mended and questioned. She is mine."**_

_They didn't see it but the figure stirred ever so slightly, blood-stained eyelids parting ever so slightly to reveal electric blue eyes. Olivia stood next to Gunvor off to one side, finger tips catching and melting snow as she stole a glance at the creature beside her. **"Who is that?"**_

_Gunvor smiled sadly as the man with the lantern hefted the woman over his shoulder and began carrying her back to whatever fate was left to her in the village. **"My mother…that man there is my father, Ingvar the Far-Travelled." **Before Olivia could ask another question the scene sped up, faded, jumped and spun until they were in a different field where wildflowers bloomed._

_Olivia watched the girl, wondering to herself what it must have been like to live for centuries, to watch the rise and fall of civilizations. It seemed that she had done this alone and Olivia could not begin to fathom how that must have felt. **"Why didn't you speak English when I got you out of there? Why the charade?"**_

_Dreadlocks swinging in the phantom breeze she chased the butterflies amongst the flowers, memories of beautiful things that she couldn't touch. **"I was not sure if I could trust you. If you feign ignorance once in a while you get the answers you're looking for. Remember that Olivia, it is a woman's greatest trick." **_

_Olivia was about to respond when a sudden shout drew her attention. A little girl in a ragged dress was running through the fields ahead of them, laughing wildly as a woman chased her. **"One of my favorite memories, the only time of peace my mother and I had ever found was here."**_

_The scene faded once more but the sound of screaming rose up all around them and the scent of blood tickled Olivia's nose before she saw the source. Sensing something soft underfoot she looked down and her breath caught in her throat as she leapt backward, a mute scream splitting her mouth. Bodies…everywhere she looked, everything she touched seemed soaked with blood and viscera. **"Gun…" **She looked around, noticing that the girl had not been next to her. It took her a moment but she finally spotted her kneeling beside a weeping girl holding a woman in her arms. Tripping over an arm missing its owner, side-stepping a dying man desperately trying to stuff his intestines back into his torn belly she felt the familiar threat of vomit creeping up her throat. **"Gunvor…what…what is this?!"**_

_She looked down; saw that the young girl must have been Gun at one point or another and the woman that was fading fast had to have been…_

"_**They killed your mother, didn't they? They found out what you were but who…who kil—" **Olivia cut herself off abruptly and knelt beside the older Gunvor and saw red-hued tears quietly cascading down her cheeks._

"_**I killed them. I killed every last one of them. I gorged myself on their blood for days but still my thirst revenge was not slaked. She left me alone," **Gunvor's voice was choked with emotion as she watched her younger self scream incoherently as her mother's hand fell away from her face. **"And I have been alone for centuries, Olivia Dunham with nothing but my rage. We are not immortal, we can die but something in me decided to punish me with life."**_

_Looking around at the destruction the small girl had caused she saw that her teeth were already growing in, sharp little hypodermic needles. Olivia felt pity for her then and reached out to touch the girl's shoulder but she jerked away from the contact, **"Do you want to know true horror, Olivia Dunham? I have done this…and more. This…this moment here is the great myth of Beowulf although men do tend to paint themselves as victors even when they lose."**_

_Olivia watched as a man hurdled toward the younger Gunvor from behind snatched her up and…the scene spun and changed again. The man held the bloodied girl over a great precipice in some sort of glacier, amidst ice and snow he spoke words to her but Olivia did not understand because Gunvor would not allow her to. Olivia started for the young child out of instinct but the man threw her from him and she disappeared into the chasm below. Gunvor stood beside Olivia, contempt running a rampant fire in her eyes. **"I didn't die…what a cruel joke. I lay in an ice coffin for many years until a war shook me free."**_

"_**How did you survive?"**_

"_**Well, that is the question isn't it? How did I survive where so many of humans don't? Why do I look like this? Those men that were holding me wanted to know those questions, they wanted to steal my power and for a moment I considered letting them." **Gunvor drew closer to Olivia, drawing herself up on tiptoe, breathing her breath.**"Don't ever become consumed by a cause that has motives for revenge, Olivia Dunham. The revenge survives you when you fail and infects someone else."**_

_Finger tips grazed Olivia's cheeks, sharp teeth glistening white in Gun's mouth as she leaned toward Olivia's ear and whispered:_

"_**Are you awake now?

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_**A/N: **_Hmm…I dunno whaddya think? Reviews encouraged!


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **I do not own the TV show _Fringe _or any of its characters. I do own the secret new character though! All credit to character creation, etc. goes to J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci. **Halloween Challenge Fic - Thanks to WJObsessed for inviting me to participate!

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Awakening with a gasp, eyes wide Olivia looked almost instantly to Gunvor. The red-headed girl blinked her eyes once and swatted Walter away from her arm where he appeared to be transcribing the markings of the tattoo onto a piece of paper. Looking up she found that her head was in Peter's lap and he was staring down at her, an expression full of curiosity and concern lingering longer than she was sure he would have liked. Sitting up slowly she acclimated herself to the presence of reality (or some perceived notion of it) and watched Gunvor do the same. No one seemed to be able to say anything for a few moments before Walter, ever the progenitor of awkward conversations piped up as he studied what he had on the piece of paper.

"**So Miss Ingvarsdottir here was the basis for the tale of Beowulf? Very interesting indeed, men often dislike being dismembered and physically mutilated by women."**

Olivia's shock must have shown on her face as she turned to Peter who simply nodded and shrugged, an almost sheepish expression flitting across his face. **"It was weird hearing you talk like that in your sleep; nothing but your mouth moved…and her eyes were wide open the entire time. It was creepy as hell."**

Gun stretched, a series of flinch-inducing cracks resonated in the lab before Astrid finally spoke up, glancing up from her computer monitor. She often felt a little over-shadowed in most capacities but she figured they loved her, after all Walter actually remembered her name—sometimes. **"I got most of the conversation down that I could but…how did she—I mean how did you survive negative temperatures. You mentioned snow and ice and I wonder…"**

Peter glanced over to his father and noticed that Walter's excitement was growing exponentially. Olivia was rising to her feet, steadying herself on the arm rest of the couch. Peter watched her closely a part of him wanting to help her but he realized with some embarrassment that he was being perfectly ludicrous. She had always been able to take care of herself no matter the situation and in many aspects Peter was jealous of this—that she was better at collecting herself than he had ever been. Perhaps in another life he might have been this way as well but it was too late to conjecture over it now.

"**I would like to run some more tests, if you are willing to participate of course. I believe we have a freezing chamber around here somewhere." **Walter looked to Peter for confirmation but the young man could only shrug in response.

"**A freezing chamber Walter? You can't be thinking…" **Astrid's lips formed a frown of disapproval, although she disliked his experiments involving humans she could not say she had never had a hand in one of them. A certain agent came to mind at that and she merely sighed in resignation.

"**Well, suppose I would oblige you…what would I be getting for my troubles? I cannot remain here for very long undetected and those men may have known or are slowly investigating their way into figuring out who Olivia is." **Gunvor swiveled, taking in the new environment she had been placed in and made a beeline for the cow. Sniffing the creature she poked its side, touched Gene's ears and inspected the bovine's mouth before turning to stare at them. **"What is the purpose of this animal? Is it food?" **Baring her teeth once more in a disconcerting grin Walter sputtered in outrage.

"**Gene?! Food?! Of course not are you insane? He's our…our…" **Searching for an adequate word to quantify the meaning of Gene to their band of government miscreants he fell short and was rescued once again by Astrid.

"**Gene is our pet. We really don't use him for other purposes; I mean we were supposed to but…why do you ask?"**

"**Yeah Gun, you fixing to make Gene your midnight snack?" **Peter stared at her pointedly, watching with some amusement as she clambered on top of the cow and sat cross-legged. The bovine seemed to accept the nuisance and continued onward with a snack.

A quizzical look crossed over the girl's countenance for a moment, as if considering what he had said, **"Gun? Interesting appellation, I accept it and no I was not going to snack on him. If he is a pet he holds emotional value, yes? I do need blood every few hours however…" **She trailed off and tipped her head sideways, staring at Olivia intently.

Peter wanted to ask more questions of the two, of what they had seen and what Olivia had experienced. Walter would ask her and it would certainly be more acceptable of him to do so without excess attention being brought to him. But this girl…this…creature was looking at him now, blue eyes skewering him to his spot and the smile that traced her the lips that hid those dangerous teeth irritated him somehow. _What are you smiling at, punk? Like you could ever know what I'm thinking, _He paused a moment, glare intensifying, _unless she can hear me. _

"**Don't look at her she's not your blood bank," **Peter couldn't help but snarl ever so slightly, drawing close to Olivia he glanced sideways at him in amusement.

"**Blood bank…oh of course! Miss Farnsworth could you please place an order for a few blood bags. Any preference?" **Walter turned back to Gunvor for any indication and she merely shrugged and slipped off of Gene's back.

"**I'm tired now, may we continue in the morning?"**

Walter definitely appeared to be disappointed in this development but said nothing of it and merely nodded his assent. **"Well, yes I suppose but where in the world will you sleep child?"**

"**I want to sleep with the cow."**

Olivia blinked in surprise and thought about arguing but she recognized the stubborn expression on Gun's face for one that her own would make when she was told not to do something. Understanding that this was another of those people that did not cease and desist when asked Olivia realized that she had not broached an argument; something that rather impressed her. Sighing softly she turned to Peter, **"Take me home? My car is a little…well…it's going to need some repairs."**

Peter grinned ever so slightly; relief that had been holding off for what seemed like hours flooded him. In spite of all the night's happenings things were still okay. **"Astrid? Do you need a ride home?" **

The young agent shook her head and stretched in her swivel chair. **"No, I think I'm going to stay here tonight and finish doing some research." **While that was still true there were some other motives behind her desiring to stay. Making sure Walter didn't start poking and prodding the girl in her sleep was one, making sure this strange creature didn't kill Gene was the second motive, and the third was that she simply didn't feel like being alone tonight.

"**Excellent sportsmanship, Astrid! I'll stay as well and we can Monopoly again!" **Walter glanced excitedly to Peter, Olivia, and Astrid as if waiting for their permission.

"**All right fine, Walter…just remember to keep your pants on, you're in a school you don't want to scare the children." **Walter was already waving his hand dismissively at his son and Gun was already rooting around in the hay making her nest.

Pointing a finger at the bovine Gun spoke, commanding in tone, **"Lay down." **

To everyone's amusement and amazement the creature complied and sunk with a groan 'til Gene lay in a position in which Gunvor cuddled up to the cow. **"Good night Olivia Dunham…Peter."**

Accompanying Olivia out into the night he kept a hand on the small of her back, the contact necessary in case she felt dizzy. The agent did seem rather exhausted, the dark circles that usually lined his eyes now appearing under hers as they walked to the beat up truck Peter had purchased on whim. Arching a skeptical brow Olivia turned to look at Peter, arms crossing over her chest as she suppressed a chuckle, **"I have to ask: what possessed you to buy this rusted old thing? It couldn't be for the style…"**

"**Hey! Don't attack Bob! He's reliable, affordable, and just big enough to haul all of Walter's excess lab crap around. This thing has survived almost everything!"**

His statement elicited a laugh from her, the street lights catching her eyes in such a way that that Peter almost reached out to touch her but he refrained and merely grinned. **"You named your tr—"**

"**Yes, I named him Bob…let's get going while you still have time to sleep before the next catastrophe occurs." **Opening the door for her he waited for her to slip inside before he shut the door.

On the ride back to her apartment as the bright lights flitted by he glanced over to Olivia, about to say something when he saw her forehead resting against the window, asleep. Smiling to himself he lingered in indecision land upon pulling into her parking lot. _Should I wake her up? _Deciding against it he leaned toward her, the scent of vanilla underneath the gunshot residue and sweat tickling his nose as he carefully picked her pocket and produced her keys. Slipping out of the car he crossed to her side and carefully maneuvered the door so that she wouldn't fall out as he opened it.

Gently gathering the sleeping woman into his arms in a motion that was almost practiced he felt her stir and mumble something against the fabric of his sweater, his breath hitching in his throat in the process. She didn't appear to wake however even as he shut the car door and edged his way into her building. _King of Multi-tasking, yep I should be on Oprah. _

And with sudden disappoint he realized that before he knew it he was opening her door and slipping inside. Maneuvering through dark hallways he wondered if it was disturbing that he knew where everything was here, new which floorboards creaked and how the edges of the dining tables were excessively sharp and how you had to wiggle the door knob to get back out of the bathroom. Setting her down on one side of the bed he knew that she preferred the right side and pulled the covers down for her before gently moving her.

She stirred again and opened her eyes, the moonlight coming in from the shades cast bars across his face but she smiled ever so slightly. Impressed that he had been able to get her into the apartment without injuring himself, letting him pull the covers up and over her she felt him remove himself…turning for the door, mouth open as he was about to say something.

"**Peter?"**

"**Mhmm?" **

"**Will you…will you stay with me? At least until I fall asleep again?"**

The question lingered in the air and something restricted Peter's throat and he had to think a moment before murmuring, **"Olivia...I…"**

"**Please?" **And that ended it for him right there, something about the voice she used. He could deny her nothing as he slipped off his shoes and dropped his jacket to the floor. Slipping under the covers beside her a flicker of warmth soon turned into a fire as she curled herself into him, her head resting on his chest.

"**Good night, Peter." **Her warm breath brushed against his shirt and he knew that he would not be moving at all, a hand coming to rest across her back and before he closed his eyes he smiled into the darkness and murmured:

"**Good night, Olivia."**

_I love you._


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Sorry, I know it's been a long time since I've written anything for this particular story and I feel dreadful. College life is a bitch, y'know.

As the sun slowly rose Peter was awakened with a jolt, the after-effects of a bad dream still clinging to the backs of his eyelids. For a moment he did not quite know where he was or how he had come to be here but after but a few seconds he realized that he was in Olivia's apartment, in her bed and as he glanced down he felt the gentle weight of her head on his chest. Her steady breathing implied that the slight shudder that had coursed through his body had not stirred her and although he knew that at any moment she might rouse herself from sleep and catch him. _Catch you doing what, moron? _ His finger tips skated along the wrinkled cloth covering her back, sweeping upward as he touched the blond spray of hair spread out on his chest. _Olivia…_

The familiarity he felt with this situation was no doubt inappropriate on so many levels and the fact that he was touching her while she was sleeping—well, it was very doubtful she would be amused should she rouse herself and feel his touch. He was loath to wake her but he figured it was either he wakes her or the inevitable exasperated phone call from Astrid that would do the trick. The lives they led always seemed ill-suited toward relationships and although Peter basked in this stolen moment he knew that ending it would be the best thing, the adult thing to do.

"**Olivia,"** A calloused hand curled around her shoulder as he gently shook her from sleep. He felt her cheek slide slowly across his chest, her long legs stretching and lifting briefly from their entanglement in his own. Almond-shaped lashes fluttered open and he saw the same disorientation he had felt earlier in her gaze as she gazed up into Peter's face without saying a word. Her lips parted but she did not speak and rose slowly onto her elbows, one slender hand reaching out to touch her head.

"**Are you okay, Liv?" **Brows knit in concern he sat up, watching her carefully and eager to move beyond the awkward moment that would definitely ensue should the silence stretch any longer.

Rubbing sleep from her eyes she met Peter's gaze, took in the second wave of stubble that crept up his chin and the shadows under his eyes. She had been sleeping in his arms and once set down upon the bed alone she felt the cold expanse of loneliness settle over her and for once she had reached out, had asked him to stay with her. As frustrating as it may sound, even though she would never find the courage to tell him, it had meant more to her that he had stayed than any gesture he had made toward her.

"**I'm fine I just have one hell of a headache," **Eyes quickly glancing over to her alarm clock, amusement lingering in the corners of her eyes and lips. **"Peter, its five o'clock in the morning."**

Suddenly feeling rather sheepish he struck out, grasping at a reason to combat the sneaking feeling of guilt that whirled in his stomach. **"The ankle-biter, I figured we might need a head start or at least get there to supervise Walter before he gets…well, you know how he gets." **That was something else he liked about Olivia, he rarely had to explain his father to her aside from the odd scientific translation.

The hair of his arm tickled her skin and she realized with a flood of embarrassment that they were still so close in proximity that Peter was surreptitiously checking out the wound on her head with his inscrutable eyes. She sat up, her body flowing away from him as her feet hit the floor, almost perturbed by how comfortable she was waking up next to him and simply talking. **"I suppose you have a point, go ahead and take a shower you smell like Gene."**

Feigning deep offense he rolled out of bed, padding toward the adjoining bathroom he removed his shirt and threw it at Olivia's head, **"Well, I hate to tell you this Agent Dunham but…you have the worst morning breath I have ever had the misfortune of smelling."**

Scoffing at the implication she rolled her eyes and made a shooing motion with her hands, careful not to let her eyes catch too long on his skin. **"It's a good thing I know you're a professional scoundrel or I might have taken you seriously."**

In a completely inarticulate and childish gesture Peter stuck out his tongue and shut the door, the sound of water hitting tiles resonating into the next room as Olivia checked her phone before rolling her eyes heavenward. _What the hell am I doing?_


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Now that I gave you the mandatory fluff we can move on! Right? Right! I'm sorry it has been so long. I really don't have any excuse aside from college and now I have this fic and another I'm trying to work on simultaneously!

* * *

After showers were taken and a breakfast full of awkward silence was had they were ready to once again venture back into the Lab and learn more about this girl that had suddenly fallen into their lives. The car ride was uncharacteristically silent, broken only by intermittent blasts of information from the scanner that had taken the place of their own voices. There were glances back and forth and Peter was fidgeting with the buttons on his shirt, cursing the daylight and all the things it ruined.

Or shed light on.

The trilling of a cell phone cut short his quiet reverie and with a start he realized that it was his that was ringing incessantly. Digging into his pockets he retrieved the device and flipped it open, the sound of Astrid's panicked voice needling into his ear. He only heard the gist of the emergency and a sour expression bled onto his face as he turned to Olivia who was already watching him with an expectant stare.

**"Step on it, Walter's making trouble again."** Sounding more exasperated than anything else he turned to glare out the window, realizing that she was still staring at him. He glanced back at her, a brow quirked in silent question.

Olivia smiled faintly, turning her attention back to the road. **"Nothing, nothing at all."**

* * *

As soon as they set foot in the building something was definitely awry. The temperature seemed to have dropped at least thirty degrees since last night and the lights above them were flickering in a rather ominous fashion. A look was exchanged before they jogged down the hall, hurrying toward the basement stairs. Bursting through the doors the frigid weather induced instant chattering teeth, puffs of steam erupting from reddening noses.

Astrid was sitting in full winter attire; even Gene had a hat and scarf on. Olivia was open-mouthed in awe, not quite knowing whether or not to laugh at the absurd scene taking place around her. In a separate room through a pane of glass a weatherscape borrowed straight from Antarctica was taking place and in the middle of those simulated screaming winds and subzero temperatures was Gun, and she wore nothing but a large t-shirt.

**"WALTER!"** The outraged cry came from Peter's lips, eyes quickly tracking down the eccentric scientist seated in a chair just outside, eating popcorn and taking notes.

**"Extraordinary!"** Muttering to himself as he scribbled into the file he glanced up and turned around as though finally taking notice of his son's voice.

**"Oh Peter! Isn't this exciting? She let me test her cold tolerance!"**

Striding up to the door of the room Peter was about to turn the knob when Walter's hand shot out to restrain him. **"No don't! Wait, Peter! Watch what happens!"**

**"Walter this is inhumane! You don't do this to a…"** Well, he supposed that Gunvor was not actually a child and had not been for centuries. Whatever she might be he could not imagine being stuck in those cold temperatures and coming out of it as though nothing had happened.

He allowed himself to be ushered backward and watched, hands jammed into his pockets. None of them, at least not Peter, Olivia, and Astrid, were prepared for what happened next.

As the winds blew around her Gunvor's skin took on an unnatural sheen that slowly swept her entire body. Lips frozen into a grin she seemed to have become a statue swallowed in some kind of natural compound.

**"Rana sylvatica,"** Walter spoke in breathy tones, eyes brighter than Peter had seen them in a long time.

**"What?"** This being the first time that Olivia had spoken since entering the room moments before.

**"Wood frog, it has the ability to survive during the winter by freezing itself. Although those silly little amphibians die if the temperature drops below four degrees Fahrenheit and our friend here is just now beginning to freeze at negative forty-two."**

Surprise drew itself across the blonde agent's face, lips compressed as she turned to look at Astrid.

**"Turn it off; let's get her out of there."**

* * *

Thawed and somehow unaffected Gun was now entertaining her new friends with her acrobatics, hanging from a light fixture with a bag of blood tangled in her hands. Peter was staring up at her with a mixture of disgust and fascination coloring his face, she was sucking on that thing like it was a freezie and it was making his stomach churn.

**"Could you go drink that somewhere else? And get down from there; you'll pull the damned thing out of the ceiling."** His cross command was met with a hand gesture that must have been obscene judging by the look of smug satisfaction on her ruby-hued lips.

The lab had slowly returned to a comfortable temperature, the power no longer flickered and it was decidedly safe to remove the winter garb from Gene who acted as though nothing had happened. Olivia was busy running over Walter's notes when the door suddenly opened.

Olivia's hand went instinctively to her gun, eyes pinning Gunvor on the ceiling before her gaze fell upon a familiar face.

_Broyles._

She relaxed her grip, watched as he eyed her curiously and greeted Peter. About to speak, mouth open with unuttered words he was silenced as something warm dripped and slid down his forehead. As his fingers reached up to touch it, tactile sensation said it was thick in an almost syrupy manner but once his hand removed itself so that he might look his eyes widened and his head shot up just as the red-haired girl flung herself from the ceiling.

**"GUN, NO!"**


End file.
